Near the mouth of the Seine. A group of small towns and villages near the mouth of the Seine, on the neck of land between the estuary of that river, and the ocean, sent a number of refugees to America. From the ancient seaport town of Harfleur, now eclipsed by the neighboring port of Havre, came Abraham Lesueur, and Catharine Poinset, his wife, settlers of South Carolina.1 Montivilliers, four miles north of Harfleur, was the birthplace of Jacques Le Moine, who likewise fled to South Carolina: and from the same place, probably, came Pierre Le Moine, one of the settlers in Narragansett, and the founder of the Mawney family of Rhode Island.2

But the good wishes of its friends could not avert the fate that was hanging over the French settlement. The summer of the year 1691 witnessed the breaking up and removal of all the families in Frenchtown save two or three. The story of this catastrophe is related by doctor Ayrault, in quaint but graphic terms. "The protecting of us in our liberty and property was continued not two years under said Government, before we were molested by the vulgar sort of the people, who flinging down our fences laid open our lands to ruin, so that all benefit thereby we were deprived of. Ruin looked on us in a dismal state; our wives and children living in fear of the threats of many unruly persons: and what benefit we expected from our lands for subsistence was destroyed by secretly laying open our fences by night and day: and what little we had preserved by flying from France, we had laid out under the then improvements. It looked so hard upon us, to see the cryes of our wives and children, lamenting their sad fate, flying from persecution, and coming under his Majesty's gracious Indulgence, and by the Government promised us, yet we, ruined. And when we complained to the Government, we could have no relief, although some would have helped us, we judge, if by their patience they could have borne such ill treatments as they must expect to have met with by the unruly inhabitants there settled also. Many of the English inhabitants compassionating our condition, would have helped us; but when they used any means therein, they were evilly treated. So that these things did put us then upon looking for a place of shelter, in our distressed condition; and hearing that many of our distressed country people had been protected and well treated in Boston and Yorke, to seek out new habitations, where the Governments had compassion on them, and gave them relief and help, to their wives and children subsistence. Only two families moving to Boston, and the rest to New York, and there bought lands, some of them, and had time given them for payment. And so was they all forced away from their lands and houses, orchards and vineyards, taking some small matter from some English people for somewhat of their labour;thus leaving all habitations. Some people got not anything for their labour and improvements, but Greenwich men who had given us the disturbance, getting on the lands, so improved in any way they could, and soon pulled down and demolished our Church."

It is plain, from Ayrault's account, that the disorderly proceedings that caused the abandonment of the French plantation, were conducted by a rude and lawless set of persons, and were strongly disapproved of by the more respectable part of the community. Doubtless, Rhode Island abounded in like characters, ready for any mischievous enterprise; and her people had long been familiar with just such disorders.1 The conflict of land titles, especially in Narragansett, between individual owners as well as between townships, had led to numberless broils and border frays. Still, the troubles inflicted upon these Huguenots--inoffensive strangers, and refugees from cruel persecution--would seem to argue more than common malignity, if we did not know that the lands that were fraudulently conveyed to them had been assigned, years before, to earlier settlers. In October, 1677, the legislature of Rhode Island made a grant of this territory, and established a township known then and now as East Greenwich, and it was apportioned in tracts among certain persons named.21 History of Rhode Island, by S. G. Arnold, vol. I., p. 442.

The French, victimized by the unscrupulous Atherton company, were innocently occupying and improving lands to which others had a prior claim.

Upon leaving Narragansett, the refugees became widely scattered. Seven families--those of Allaire, Arnaud, Beauchamp, Barbut, Dechamps, L‚gar‚, and Tourtellot--removed to Boston. Germon and Grignon joined the settlement in New Oxford. Paul Collin went to Milford, Connecticut. Four families--those of Bretin, Chadene, Fortier and Renaud--went to New Rochelle. Four others--Amian, Jouet, Le Brun, and Le Gendre--went to South Carolina. The largest number sought homes in New York. Twenty-one of the names upon the plan of Frenchtown reappear in the records of the French Church in that city. These are the names of Bouniot, Coudret, Jean David, Josu‚ David senior, Josu‚ David junior, veuve Galay, Grazilier, Jamain, Lafon, Lambert, La Vigne, Le Breton, Jacques Magni, Jean Magni, Rambert, Ratier, Robineau, Daniel and Jacques Targ‚, Traverrier, and TougŠre. A few of the settlers pass entirely out of our view upon leaving Narragansett. Among these is the excellent pastor of the colony, Ezchiel Carr. Whether he returned to Europe, or finished his course in some other part of the New World, we have failed to learn.

August 5, 1700. The dispersion, however, was not total. Two French families, Le Moine and Ayrault, (See Judge Potter's Memoir concerning the French Settlements) remained on the site of the settlement, or within a short distance from it; and a third, Julien, removed only as far as Newport.1 Mo‹se Le Moine occupied the farm that has remained in possession of his descendants ever since, and that covers the site of the Huguenot village. The original name of this family was corrupted at an early day to Money or Mawney. Pierre Ayrault retained his lands, notwithstanding the efforts that were made from time to time to dislodge him. He had "fenced in fifty acres of land, and made very good improvements--a large orchard, garden, and vineyard, and a good house." The tribulations that he suffered at the hands of "Greenwich men," who not only broke down his fences, but altered the boundaries of his lands, are pathetically related in a petition, in which he gives the account of the settlement at Frenchtown, and its abandonment, from which we have already quoted. Either his remonstrances with the government, or the stout resistance he offered to his tormentors, at length availed him; for he remained in Narragansett until his death, which occurred about the year 1711. At that time his son Daniel, who established himself in business in Newport, sold the property in East Greenwich.

Judge Potter's Memoir concerning the French Settlements:page 9,Col. Peter Mawney lived the greater part of his life in East Greenwich, but removed to Providence before his death, and his will is recorded there. He died in Providence, September 9, 1754, aged 65, and is buried, with other relatives, in the old North Burial Ground. This would make his birth about 1689.

He was twice married, first to Mary Tillinghast, who died February 24, 1726-7, in the 34th year of her age, and is buried in the Tillinghast burial ground, next north of the Mawney farm; second, to Merey, daughter of Pardon Tillinghast, who survived him, and died in 1761, the widow of James Brown, and is buried in the North Burial Ground.

The children of Col. Peter Mawney were:

1. Elizabeth, born November 22, 1714, wife of Joseph Olney.

2. Merey, married Thomas Fry, Jr., December 23, 1742. In Col. Mawney's will he mentions his granddaughter, Merey Fry.

4. Mary, married James Angell, October 5, 1752, grandmother of the late Prof. William G. Goddard.1

5. John, born August 11, 1718; died June 13, 1754. See below.

6. Pardon, born October 5, 1753; went to sea and never heard from.

7. Sarah, married Joseph Whipple. Their son Samuel was father of the late Hon. John Whipple, Brown University, 1802, and their son George was grandfather of Joseph W. Congdon, attorney at law at East Greenwich.

8. Amey, married Dr. Samuel Carrew, April 22, 1760; died 1762, age 26; buried in North Burial Ground.

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